Chapter 43
"You shouldn't be here." the brunette knowingly remarks as she stirs the pot of hot chocolate.
"I'm almost 30. I can do whatever I want." the green haired man chuckles while leaning his back on the counter beside her. "And you don't mean that."
She raises a slightly amused eyebrow at him. "What?"
"You want me here."
Scoffing, she tells him, "Don't flatter yourself."
He smirks at her. "Well, you did let me inside, and you're currently making me hot chocolate."
"I can't turn away our sponsor."
Inching his body towards her, he skeptically says, "I'm not just a sponsor, May."
May feels her cheeks flush from his closeness and familiarity. "You are to me."
The man's heart aches from her distant words, but he doesn't see her trying to get away from him. She's been very welcoming. He was surprised that she let him in after he confessed, though she hasn't said anything since then. "Do you have marshmallows?" He starts looking around the small kitchen.
"Check that cupboard. If it's not there, then the kids must have taken them again." She motions to a cupboard above the sink. "They love their sweets."
With the bag of marshmallows in his hand, Drew glances back at the woman. "What do you love?"
She freezes. May has been trying to avoid this conversation because she can't lie to him. She's tried, and she's failed. Even though this isn't the Drew she fell in love with, there have been many things he does that reminds her of the old him. "Mr. H-"
"I asked you a question." Drew sets the marshmallows down beside her to peer at the side of her face. She's still staring down at the hot chocolate.
"This is unprofessional."
"You didn't have to let me in or make me hot chocolate." She was the one who offered. Plus, it's past midnight already. It's not like he asked to come inside. All he wanted was to see her and let her know how much she means to him.
Why does she mean so much to him? He's not too sure, but from what he knows about her, she's like no one else. Despite her cold demeanor towards him, she's shown to actually care about him. She takes care of the children, and she's selfless. May tries hard in everything she does while supporting those around her. She treats him like a normal person, and she pushes back at him. Drew knows he doesn't deserve her, but he wants her. His heart aches for her. It only stops when he's beside her.
Avoiding the topic, May inquires, "Does your wife know you're here?"
"She's not dumb."
"So we should be expecting her soon?"
Drew doesn't like talking about his home life when he's at the orphanage. This place is his escape from all those stresses. "I'm surprised we haven't seen that lawyer of yours." It seemed like that lawyer had a lot of feelings for May. They have a long history, and Drew met them when they were together. Drew figured Brendan would come back to try and get May again. Does Brendan not like May as much as it seemed?
May frowns at the mention of Brendan. She knows she is putting Drew through the same thing with her constant questions about Brianna. However, this is different. May is single. She's not with Brendan anymore. Plus, Drew is married to Brianna who Drew chose over May when Drew had his memories. "Why do you care?"
She should know why he cares. Well, he knows she knows. He just told her his feelings half an hour ago. However, he'll play dumb here with her. "I just wanna know how many men were able to woo May Maple."
May purses her lips and furrows her brows in annoyance. Just because he confessed his feelings, that doesn't mean he can pry into her love life. She isn't even sure if his words are true. It's not like they spent months falling in love like they had years ago. Moreover, the two haven't spent much time together. May is always rude to him while steering clear of him. She's skeptical about his feelings, so she won't say anything that will harm her or the orphanage.
After pouring the hot chocolate into two mugs, May reaches for the marshmallow bag, but Drew's hand brushes her as he does the same. Both adults blush, and May pulls her hand away. "How many?"
With her slightly faster heartbeat as the heat from her face clouds her head, May mutters, "One."
Nodding, Drew places one marshmallow in her mug while he fives himself three. "Okay."
When he closes the bag, May asks, "Why'd you only give me one?"
He raises a confused eyebrow at her. "You told me you only wanted one."
"I thought you were still asking about-" she clamps her hands over her mouth. Was he asking about the marshmallows? She thought he was pressing her about the men she loves.
Smirking, Drew leans closer to her, making her more flustered. "Thinking what?"
May resists the urge to fall into that pool of emerald. She won't look at him. He makes her vulnerable. He's the only one who could ever penetrate her tough heart. She's spent years hardening it to prevent herself from feeling pain anymore. Someone needs to be tough for the orphans, and she deemed herself that person. Drew is the only one who could get her to rely on someone, but then he made her realize it was stupid to trust him.
Seeing that she isn't going to answer, Drew moves away to open the bag of marshmallows again. "How many do you want?"
"Just you."
He snaps his attention over to her where he sees she is still avoiding his gaze. Her eyes are on the empty pot, and her cheeks are a deep red. Forgetting the marshmallows, Drew takes a step closer to her. He can feel her shoulder brush his chest. "What was that?" His heart is pounding hard, so he's not sure he even heard her correctly.
Taking in a deep breath, May lifts her head to meet his hopeful eyes. "We can't do this again." She whispers.
"Again?" What is she talking about? Does she consider all those times they almost kissed to be this? He doesn't. This is the first time he's heard her honest feelings, and he's happy they're for him.
Realizing what she's saying, May shuts her eyes to save herself. Why did she give in? Has she missed him this much? They weren't even looking at each other when she started telling him her feelings. "You need to stop, Mr. Hayden."
Drew shakes his head. "Look at me."
"You should leave."
"Look me in the eyes and say it." Drew challenges her. "Then I'll leave."
"You're stubborn." she breathes out.
"I have to be." He lowers his face towards hers. Being in his shark-filled world, he can only count on himself. It requires independence, stubbornness, and perseverance.
Shaking her head, May turns her head to open her eyes. She grabs her mug and walks out of the kitchen with her heart rapidly beating. Disappointed, Drew follows with his own mug. He expects her to walk him out, but she leads him to the common living area with the large TV and comfortable couches. His company had paid for this a few years ago.
When the two sit down, May mutters, "I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you I don't have feelings for you." He hopefully watches her sip her mug. "But I am going to remind you that you have a wife. Our worlds are different, and I can live without you."
"Give me some time. I'll work it out." If Dawn and her bodyguard can figure something out, Drew knows he can too. He'll divorce Brianna. Her company is doing poorly anyway. He'll take over his company and then he can marry whoever he wants, which means her. He'll fight. A Hayden never gives up.
She shakes her head. "No. I don't want to be with you." May already tried that once. She won't do it again. If only they didn't have all these outside circumstances, but they do.
Frowning, he asks, "But you said you have feelings for me. We both lov-"
"I never said the L word."
"You never not said it."
Taking another sip, May thinks to herself. Just what is she doing? She allowed him inside and offered him hot chocolate. She's still talking to him about their feelings when she knows she shouldn't. "I just think this is a conversation that needs to happen before things get worse."
"What are you talking about?"
May's sapphire eyes lock onto Drew's pained emerald ones. "We have this sexual tension between us. Ignoring it hasn't done anything but make it worse. I'm addressing this now so that we both understand that nothing can ever happen between us." She's spent years getting over him, so she won't get dragged back into that world of his.
"Why won't you just give me a chance?" insists the man.
Because she already did once, and it cost her everything. "There's a reason why we're in separate worlds. Let's keep it at that."
Confused, he sets his mug down on the table. "What's the reason."
"You're rich. I'm an orphan."
"Dawn is rich, and she's in love with her bodyguard." Drew sternly says, making May surprised he knows this.
"How do-"
"I figured, and she confirmed it." Drew waves off the comment. "It doesn't matter what world we come from. If you love someone, you figure out how to make it work."
Scoffing, May sets her own mug down too. She gives Drew an amused look. "You're supposed to make it work, but sometimes, you can't control it. Sometimes, your lover just gives up."
He feels some venom in her words. "What are you talking about?"
"Let's say you had to choose between me or Brianna."
"You obviously." He says matter-of-factly. He loves May. He's never loved Brianna. How could he spend years with Brianna and not develop any romantic feelings for her, but he falls in love with this woman who wants nothing to do with him after a few months?
May rolls her eyes. "What if your parents threaten to shut down the orphanage?"
"I won't let them."
"How?"
"I don't know. I'll figure it out if that happens."
Shaking her head, May stands up from the conversation. "It's a real possibility. You shouldn't wait. You should be prepared."
He narrows his eyes at her. Why won't she just give him a shot? "Okay. I'll-"
"Don't waste your limited time." She nonchalantly shrugs. "The heir to Hayden Corporation shouldn't be thinking about these trivial matters."
Standing up angrily, Drew exclaims, "You don't know me!"
"You don't even know yourself!" May hisses back at him. The two glare at one another with neither one backing down. A few tense minutes later, May turns away. "See yourself out."
"That was a low blow." Drew mutters in defeat. She knows how much he is tormented by his missing memories. She didn't have to go there and use them against him. Before May can leave the room, Drew tells her, "I may not have my memories, but I know who I am. I love you. I don't know why, but I know I do. I'm gonna work hard so that you feel comfortable giving me a shot."
Taking in a deep breath with her back facing him, May says, "Good night, Drew."
"Good night, May." Drew watches her leave and then he looks down at his full mug, which must be cooled by now. Since it's something she made him, he takes his time savoring the sweet chocolate drink. The man smiles seeing his solo marshmallow, meaning she had taken the mug that should've been his. So she likes sweets too? He chuckles.
Despite the way their conversation turned south, Drew isn't too upset. He didn't expect her to kiss him or hug him the moment he confessed. He isn't sure what his reason for confessing was, but he just knew he wanted to do it. He wants her to know as well as know that he will do everything in his power to show her they are worth a try.
Once he finishes his mug, he takes it to the kitchen where he washes it. Soon, the man exits through the front doors, and drives off in his car. The warm sweet drink makes him feel the same inside. He isn't bitter about the obvious rejection. Instead, he feels relieved to have gotten his feelings off of his chest. The burden and tension is gone. May and him won't need to hide their emotions anymore, though they will be more aware of their interactions.
A couple of hours later, Drew had left his condo. Due to his argument with Brianna, the man hasn't been sleeping at the mansion. He's been enjoying his solace at his private condo. Walking towards his office, he notices that his staff is whispering. His receptionist is nowhere to be seen. Usually, Owen would've greeted him by now or at least at the condo.
When Drew opens the door to his office, he sees exactly why Owen and his receptionist were not outside. The whispering employees also make a lot more sense. Moreover, the biggest thing he's noticed lately was the absence of his family while he was sneaking off to the orphanage. His family isn't stupid. He figured they'd corner him eventually, but this is a lot more than he expected.
There, inside the large office, stand Owen and the receptionist. Seated on the couches are Drew's parents and his wife. The heir smirks as he prepares to finesse his way out of this useless lecture. He's been prepared for Brianna telling his parents about his after work activities. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Drew nonchalantly asks his family.
The receptionist excuses himself, and Owen tries to leave too, but Drew motions for the secretary to remain in the room. Sitting down on a separate couch, Drew looks around at the stern gazes of his three family members. "Usually you'd all be tearing my ear off by now." He teases.
"This is no laughing matter, Drew." Nicholas narrows his eyes at his son.
"I'm not laughing." Drew tells them defensively, though he does find these interventions amusing. Looking over at his wife who is glaring at him, Drew winks. "Hey, babe."
"Where have you been spending your evenings?" Margaret jumps straight to the point.
Drew raises a confused eyebrow at his mother. "I'm always working, mom. You know that."
"Do not lie to us!" Nicholas seethes.
Rolling his eyes, Drew replies, "I am working. Is there something you think I'm doing?"
"I told them." Brianna finally speaks up. "I told them about you volunteering at the orphanage again! Cheating on me with May Maple! Spending all your time there!"
Furrowing his brows as his smirk falls, Drew asks, "Again?" May had said that word last night too, but Drew brushed it off. Why would Brianna say it? If Brianna suspected Drew was cheating with May earlier, Brianna would've showed up from the start. Thus, what does she mean by again?
Clearing his throat, Nicholas comes to Brianna's rescue. He hates how he needs to continue covering for the Wakanna Family who has only caused his company more money loss than gain. "A scandal would ruin us!"
Drew ignores his father. Instead, the young man repeats, "What do you mean by again, Brianna?"
"You need to stop volunteering there! You need to spend your evenings with me so we can make an heir!" the salmon haired woman stammers.
"Stop avoiding the question!" the furious Hayden heir exclaims.
"You volunteered there three years ago!" Margaret sternly tells her son, earning her shocked looks from everyone.
Nicholas glares at his wife. "Marg-"
"It's already out there. He knows it." Margaret narrows her eyes at Brianna who flinches from the cold look. "Drew is smart. We can stop lying to him about that."
"Wow. So you're gonna keep lying to me about the rest of my memories?" Drew shakes his head in disbelief. "Why the fuck would you not want me to know I volunteered at the orphanage? What harm could that do?"
"You have no obligation to them anymore!" Nicholas bellows. "You served your community service and left. But your time there made you want to keep helping them, so you created the funding for Hayden Corporation to serve the orphanage in more ways than when you were just a volunteer.
Drew skeptically looks around the room. Owen has no idea what is going on, thus the secretary awkwardly fidgets. Drew is starting to figure out how his headaches tie into the orphanage as well as why some things seemed familiar to him, like the red volunteer shirt. He'd have his most intense headaches at the orphanage. It must be because of the impact the orphanage had on him.
Did his family force the orphanage to be quiet about his volunteering? It would explain why no one would say anything when he'd ask before. Also, the reason many children don't speak to him. Betty's familiarity and trust. The fact that Drew knew Benny's name. A lot of things are starting to make sense, but now Drew wonders why his family didn't want him knowing about the harmless volunteering...unless it wasn't harmless.
"Why are you so against me knowing I volunteered there?"
Fortunately for Nihcolas, Margaret answers the question. "You devoted so much time there. Too much. It was stressing you out, and you were starting to slack at Hayden Corporation. It's what caused you to get into your accident."
"I crashed the night of my wedding." Drew has seen the reports.
Brianna nods. "You were stressed from work, the orphanage, and the wedding. You got really drunk at the reception and drove off angrily because you felt like you don't deserve me. You didn't have much time for me anymore, and you were guilty." The young woman lies. "All of that stress caused you to go over the edge...then you crashed…"
"We don't want that to happen again, so we didn't tell you about your time at the orphanage." Margaret soothingly tells her son.
Furrowing his brows, Drew silently thinks about everything they're telling him. It makes sense. The added burden of the orphanage stressed him out so much that he got too drunk and crashed. If he knew about his obligations to the orphanage, he may want to continue it. This would scare his family into thinking he'd repeat the same mistakes of stress.
However, one thing Brianna told him doesn't make sense. He felt bad for not spending enough time with her? Dawn said Drew never loved Brianna. He was forced to marry her for wealth. If he only married her for wealth, then he wouldn't feel guilty about not spending time with a woman he loves. Even though Drew lost those three years of his life, one thing he knows is that he was a very selfish man in the past. He does whatever he wants and only listens to those he actually cares about. Thus, he wouldn't care if he didn't spend time with his wife he married for a company partnership.
Nonetheless, Brianna did say that Dawn had a crush on Drew. That Drew chose Brianna over Dawn. Dawn could've lied about everything, including Drew's lack of love for Brianna. Although all of this is a possibility, Drew finds it hard to believe. He may have lost his memories, but he hasn't lost his emotions. He felt an instant connection to Dawn, like he wants to spend more time with her in a platonic way. He always felt like he'd rather be anywhere than by Brianna. Therefore, Drew will trust his gut, which is telling him that Dawn has been telling the truth. Plus, Dawn has been in love with her bodyguard long before Drew ever met her. Dawn wouldn't fall in love with Drew when she loves another man.
Locking eyes with Brianna's teal ones, Drew questions her. "Did I love you?"
"Yes, honey. We were very much in love."
His gaze burns with intensity as his parents hesitantly watch the young couple. "Stop lying." Everyone else gasps. "I never loved you."
Brianna stammers a bit before telling him, "Drewy, you just don't rememb-"
"I can't believe a work from any of you. You've lied to me for so long-"
"It was for your own good!" Nicholas growls. "We're concerned about you."
"Bullshit!" Drew shouts. "You all only care about yourselves! We all do! It's how we are!" He runs a hand through his hair. The only selfless people he knows want nothing to do with him.
"Do not raise your voice at me!" Nicholas stands up to scold Drew.
Rising to his own feet, Drew meets his father's unwavering gaze with one of his own. "My brain may not remember that time…" The young man pats his left chest. "But my heart never forgot." Drew knows he never loved Brianna. He knows he was once great friends with Dawn. He knows he's always loved May.
So far, he's straightened out his relationships with Brianna and Dawn, but the one that is still a mystery to him is May. According to documents, she wasn't at the orphanage during his three years. She may have grown up there, but she wasn't there. Did she volunteer there too? No. There was no paperwork of her at all. He does know she got her Petalburg job a few months after his accident. The apartment under Brendan's name also was rented out less than a month after Drew's accident.
Breaking his gaze from his father's, Drew scans his eyes around the room at everyone. There is no amount of tampering that can't be done when money is involved. "Are you sure you want to keep me away from the orphanage or May Maple?" Seeing Brianna and Nicholas flinch confirms Drew's suspicions.
"We'll shut the orphanage down if you go back there!" Brianna threatens him.
"You have no power." Drew spats. Wakanna Enterprises is going bankrupt.
"I do." Nicholas seethes. "You are forbidden from there!"
"You can't tell me what to do!" Drew exclaims. "You can't shut them down, and you can't keep me away anymore!"
"Listen to us, Drew!" Margaret now stands too. "You cannot drag that innocent woman back into the fangs of our world! It's not fair to her!" If Drew won't listen to their selfish requests, then Margaret will make Drew listen to what's best for the woman he doesn't remember loving.
Breathing heavily, Drew eventually sits again. He glares at his feet for some time as his parents also sit again. "What happened?"
"What exactly?" Margaret asks.
"What happened back then?" Drew raises his head to plead with his mother's matching emerald orbs. "What happened between me and May?"
"You tried to bring her around, and it almost cost both of you everything." Brianna answers. "You both almost got the orphanage shut down."
Drew shoots her a dark glare. "The only ones who would shut down the orphanage due to me and May's relationship would be you three. It wasn't me and May. Don't try to twist things!"
"You two are from different worlds for a reason!" Nicholas reminds his son.
"You won't even give us a shot!" Drew chuckles. "Just because you two don't love each other, that doesn't mean I can't love someone. You don't even love me!"
"That's not true!" Margaret speaks.
"Your actions and words are different." Drew stands to leave, but Brianna motions to Owen who winces.
Apologetically standing in Drew's way, Owen mutters, "I'm sorry, sir."
Drew looks between Owen and Brianna. Has Owen always been working for her? A lot of things are starting to make sense, like how Brianna would always know where and what Drew was doing. Wow. Drew was blindsided by this. He had no idea. Patting Owen on the shoulder, Drew mutters, "Whatever she's offering you, I'll give you triple."
"It's not your money yet." Nicholas gruffly says.
"I don't even want this money." Drew sidesteps Owen.
"Get him!" Brianna commands to the secretary, but Owen allows Drew to keep walking. Hanging his head low, Owen knows he can't betray Drew. Yes, Owen's father is in the hospital, but Drew has been too kind to Owen to be betrayed like this. Owen has done enough dirty work for the Wakanna family through spying on Drew.
The family watch Drew leave. Nicholas contemplates running after him. Instead, the older man pulls out his phone to call security, but Margaret puts a hand on his arm to stop him. She takes in a deep breath as she shuts her eyes in frustration. "She came to your wedding!"
Drew stops in his tracks, though he doesn't turn to face his family. "What?" He doubts May would've been allowed to his wedding. If his family knew they loved each other, then they would have banned her from attending.
"Solidad snuck her in. I caught Ms. Maple, but I helped her see you too." Margaret confesses, earning her shocked gazes from everyone.
Drew now glances at his mother's apologetic face. "Why would you do that?" He always thought she was as strict as his father about the rules of this world.
Nicholas glares at his wife. "Marg-"
"Because I love you, Drew. I want you to be happy." Margaret sighs. "Believe it or not, I remember what it's like to be in love with someone but not being able to be with them."
"What are you saying to him?" Nicholas shouts.
"The truth!" Margaret challenges her husband. "He deserves to know about-"
"Love means nothing! We're all building wealth!"
"Leave her alone!" Drew yells at his father. The young man is grateful to his mother, so he looks at her again. "Thanks, mom."
Before Drew can leave, Nicholas warns him, "If you contact the orphanage or go there, I will shut it down for good!"
"Nicholas!" Margaret snaps.
"This is for the best! Leave that place alone!"
Drew glares at Nicholas. "I'm gonna get strong enough to protect the orphanage. Your threats fuel me." With that, the heir storms out of the office, leaving his family to themselves.
Brianna had Nicholas and Margaret the other day for Drew missing the dinner. She felt like she lost control of her husband and wanted help. That's when they decided to intervene as soon as they knew where he would be. Now that the three remain in the office with Owen, Nicholas glares at Brianna. "He found out because you couldn't keep your jealous mouth shut! You and your family have done nothing but bring us misfortune!"
"You can't even control your son! He lost his memories, but you wouldn't help keep him by me!" Brianna exclaims.
"He never loved you. You both were never meant to be." Margaret stands.
"Love doesn't matter here!" Brianna counters.
"It matters to me!" Ever since she ran into May at the wedding years ago, Margaret has been reminded of the powers of love.
"Margaret." Nicholas sternly hisses. "We need to be a team when we talk to Drew."
Margaret narrows her eyes at him. "I'm tired of helping you succeed, Nicholas. Drew is my son. I love him, and I will help him be happy."
"You're making a mistake."
"My biggest mistake wasn't marrying you." Margaret replies as she walks away. "It was not stopping Drew's wedding myself." The older woman now also leaves the room.
Nicholas gives Brianna one final cold glance before storming out. Brianna flinches. This is not looking good for her right now. Her family has no power. She shoots a sharp look at Owen. "You're fired!"
"I work for Mr. Hayden." Owen meekly says.
"You can watch your father die now!" Brianna exits with the shout, and Owen sighs.
He's already come to terms with the consequences. He spoke to his father who agreed. Owen shouldn't harm another person for the well-being of someone else. Drew has been the kindest person to Owen. Thus, Drew definitely doesn't deserve the betrayal. Looking at the empty desk, Owen smiles weakly. "Thank you, sir."
Is it hot in here? Things are getting spicy!
